07 December 2011

Imbiss

In case you haven’t been keeping score, I’ve been making my way through the various quick service dining options of World Showcase over the last couple of years. In an effort to showcase something that could be eaten no matter what country you are find yourself in at mealtime, and today marks the last country I need to complete the cycle. Of course with new options cropping up on a regular basis (look for a report on the new Katsura Grill in Japan coming in early January), it’s a never ending buffet.

So, where are we headed to today? Sommerfest in Germany. First off, I didn’t save Sommerfest for last out of any preconceived notion of ‘saving the best for last’ or avoiding it as I thought the food would be inedible. This quick service location has only two entrée options, either a Bratwurst or a Frankfurter, and both come paired with sauerkraut and a roll. The best way I describe the difference between the options is a Bratwurst is close to an Italian sausage, while the Frankfurter is more akin to the typical hot dog.Okay, so this picture is a study in beige, isn’t it? Yeah, that’s what I thought too. Still, the first problem was finding a place to sit. With so few tables in the seating area, I was forced to venture all the way down to the lagoon to find a place to rest my plate. While I don’t believe there is enough space to squeeze in any more tables than are already at Sommerfest, this popular food counter could most certainly do with some additional seating.

The Frankfurter passes the first test with flying colors as it has a nice snap to the casing. Once down to the meat of the sausage, however, there is not a ton of flavor. In fact, I’d go as far as to say there are better standard dogs to be found around property, including at Casey’s Corner in the Magic Kingdom. However, the sauerkraut from Sommerfest is second to none on property, I only wish there was more of it. With the score for and against at 1 – 1, it’s down to the roll to decide the fate of this dish, and it falls flat. You know those almost stale, unappetizing dinner rolls someone always brings along to Thanksgiving dinner? Yep, that’s what we have here.

I think, perhaps, the pairing of the Bratwurst with the sauerkraut is the better option here, and I look forward to giving it a shot down the line. There are also pretzels and strudel to try! The Frankfurter plate, however, has a bland look to it and the flavors back that assumption up.

3 comments:

The frankfurter here never appealed to me as it just looked bland, so I've gone with the bratwurst in the past. It has a decent flavor, but I don't care for the sauerkraut here. It doesn't have enough tartness. I completely agree with you on the bread though.

The Bavarian Cheesecake, which we've had at Biergarten and is served here, is delicious!

We've had the frankfurter once... During F&W while with a large group (nick had bought a frankfurter and a bratwurst for us to share with a friend, the friend wanted the bratwurst). Frankfurter - thumbs down. Bratwurst - thumbs up.Although I like stronger flavored sauerkraut, the sauerkraut at Sommerfest is good (but the flavor is more of a weinkraut in my book).Have to disagree re: the bread. Perhaps you've been unlucky? We nearly always stop at Sommerfest near lunchtime - the rolls are usually a bit crunchy on the outside and wonderfully soft & moist inside (but not soggy or steamy soft & moist).